Shaun Tait in Australia A squad to play Pakistan

Sydney, June 1 (IANS) Fast bowler Shaun Tait, who was stopped from playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by Cricket Australia (CA), has been included in the Australia A squad to play a home series against Pakistan A in June-July. Tait felt he was fit enough to play for Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals after battling hamstring tendonitis for four months and that he could have been a strong contender for a place in Australia’s World Twenty20 squad.

However CA physio Alex Kountouris and doctor Trefor James ruled Tait was not fit enough to play in the IPL, costing the South Australian $500,000.

Tait lost out heavily as he was not in CA’s roster of centrally-contracted players either.

To add insult to injury, the footnote to the 17-member squad to be captained by Victorian Cameron White says Tait’s inclusion for the matches in Townsville and Brisbane is subject to fitness.

The squad has players who performed well in domestic cricket and also those who are fighting to regain their place in the Australia side. Among them are promising Queenslander Ryan Broad, prolific South Australian Michael Klinger and New South Wales paceman Burt Cockley, his team’s leading first-class wicket-taker last summer when his senior colleagues were away on national duty or injured.

Broad, Klinger and Cockley have been selected only for the two four-day matches to be played in Townsville, before they make way for David Warner, Moises Henriques and Tait for three limited overs matches and a Twenty20 game in Brisbane.